The Team – Norlha Basketball

On any given day on the vast Tibetan Plateau you will find nomads herding their yak and sheep and monks reciting their mantras. You will also find them playing one of their favorite sports: Basketball

Next to traditional horseback riding, basketball for decades has been the most popular sport among these remote Tibetans. Make-shift courts are found in nearly every village and monastery with clans far and wide competing throughout the year.

Norlha Basketball consists of the nomads-turned-artisans of Norlha Textiles. Both men and women play nearly every day during lunch and after work, in the snow and freezing temperatures, and in tournaments with up to 60 teams from surrounding clans and monasteries.

Norlha Basketball now has their first coach, a former American NCAA and semi-professional player, to help the team achieve their goals.